Face-protector



(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 7, 1896.-v

M. TOLLE.

PAGE PROTEGTOR.

AN DREW B GRAHAM. PHOTG-LJTMQWASMINGKONJL.

Unirse STATES MORRIS TOLLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FACE-PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 557,625, dated April '7, 1896.

Application filed April 3, 1895.

T LIZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS TOLLE, residiu g in the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Face-Protector, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for protectingl the face of the wearer from the weather.

The principal object is to insure unobstructed vision; and it consists in a hood or mask, hereinafter claimed,adapted to be worn over the face and having a transparent window, the several parts of said face-protector being so arranged as to prevent the condensation of moisture on the window.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure l is a face view of my hood or face-protector. 2 is a cross-section thereof, looking toward the front; and Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the broken line of Fig. l.

The body portion l of my device may be made of any suitable fabric or material eitherin the form of a mask or of ahood. I prefer to use a textile fabric made to cover or inclose the head of the wearer, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the face of the mask or hood l is a window 2, composed of two parallel plates of glass or other transparent substance 3 a slight distance apart. Any suitable device may be used for holding these plates in position-as, for instance, a marginal sheet-metal frame I, having teeth doubled back of the glass, as shown in Figs. n a-nd 3, said frame being secured to the body fabric in the same or any other suitable way. There is preferably only a single window for the two eyes, and the plates of glass are curved; but, obviously, there may be a separate window for each eye, and the glass may be plane.

In order to have the windows stand out from the face in proper position, a pressureframe 5 is used. This frame 5 is of wire or similar material, preferably covered with a soft fabric, bent into a shape to bear against the forehead, chin, and cheeks of the wearer. The window frame or frames et are fastened to this pressure-frame 5 by means of shortstruts G, which extend outwardly to said window frame or frames.

A large opening is made in the face of the hood or mask to allow free breathing through thc mouth and nose, and for this purpose it Serial No. 544,244. (No model.)

communicates directly with the atmosphere. In order to prevent the warm moist breath coming in contact with the cold outer glass and there having its moisture condensed, a flap 7, of sufiiciently close texture to cut olf the passage of the breath, is fastened between said mouth and nose opening and the window-glass. This flap extends down below the mouth.

The passage of warm breath upwardly inside of said hood or mask is intercepted by soft cushions S, adapted to conform to the contour of the face. These cushions are preferably fastened to the lower edge of the window-frame, which is arched to bridge the nose, as shown in the drawings. Obviously, the ilap 7 should be fastened at the same point as the cushion or above.

The operation of my device is as follows: Then it is put on, its weight is mainly supported by the' top of the head; but there is enough downward and lateral pressure to cause the cushions to fit closely against the face, and thus intercept the breath. The exhaled air must therefore pass below the lower edge of the loose iiap, and very little of it comes in contact with the outer glass, and by the time such portion does come in contact it has so nearly reached the same temperature as the glass itself that no appreciable moisture is deposited therefrom. The struts on the pressure-frame hold the windows at the proper distance away from the eyes. The space intervening between the two plates of glass is a dead-air space. As air is a very poor conductor ot' heat, the outer glass may be very cold, while the inner glass remains comparatively warm. Th us if any breath should come in contact with the inner glass there would be very little, if any, condensation of moisture.

IVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A face-protector comprising a bodyportion adapted to cover the wearers head and awindow therein composed of two parallel plates of a suitable transparent substance with an ai r-space intervening, said body portion having an opening for the mouth and nose which opening communicates directly with the atmosphere, and a iiap over said opening, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

IOO

2. A face-protector comprising a body portion adapted to inclose the Wearers head and a Window therein composed of two parallel plates of a suitable transparent substance with an air-space intervening, said body portion having an opening for the mouth and nose, Which opening communicates directly with the atmosphere, a flap over said opening7 and cushions under said lap above said opening to keep the exhaled breath from contact with the inner plate7 all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A face protector comprising a hood adapted to cover the head, a Window-frame fastened thereto and containing two parallel plates of a suitable transparent substance with an air-space intervening, and a pressureframe having outwardly-extending struts to support said frame, said hood having an opening for the mouth and nose communicating 2o MORRIS TOLLE.

Vitnesses E. DAvIsoN, XVM. A. KINNERK. 

